This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and, more particularly, to a carburetor attachment for improving the efficiency of such engines.
Automobile and similar internal combustion engines utilize a carburetor to bring about a mixture of fuel and air, with subsequent passage of the fuel-air mixture into an intake manifold and then to the cylinders for combustion. A long standing problem in carburetion has been to achieve optimum mixing and vaporization of the fuel and air prior to its introduction into the cylinders. If less than complete vaporization is accomplished, the combustion will be incomplete, resulting in decreased efficiency of the engine. More practically, the automobile will fail to achieve optimum gasoline mileage, and will produce increased exhaust pollution.
Numerous devices have been developed and used for improving vaporization of the fuel-air mixture, most of which devices involve the pre-heating of the fuel-air mixture prior to its passage into the intake manifold. One method of pre-heating, as disclosed in Hollabaugh, U.S. Pat. No. 3,150,652, employs circulation of the cooling fluid of the engine through a heat exchanging device disposed between the carburetor and intake manifold. In other methods, such as that disclosed in Betry, U.S. Pat. No. 2,125,216, crankcase oil is used to preheat the fuel-air mixture. Additionally, as disclosed in Ohlsson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,243, mesh screens and fin arrangements have been used, together with vaporizing devices, to create turbulence in the fuel-air mixture prior to entry thereof into the intake manifold. Other heat exchangers are disclosed in Wood, U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,065 and Dillow, U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,714. However, none of the known devices has provided a simple and easily installable carburetor attachment capable of producing optimum mixing and vaporization of the fuel-air mixture.